Light turns on anticancer agents

08/16/04

Blacksburg, Va., Aug. 24, 2004 – In order to not harm innocent tissue while aggressively treating diseases such as cancer with powerful medicine, scientists have been creating therapy agents that they can activate with light only at the site of a tumor.

Until now, almost all photodynamic therapy agents have required oxygen. Yet, tumors are often oxygen depleted. Now, Virginia Tech researchers have developed light-activated therapy agents that are oxygen independent.

The research will be presented at the 228th American Chemical Society National Meeting in Philadelphia August 22-26, 2004

Karen Brewer's chemistry-biology group is working with cell cultures to compare the effectiveness of the agents in the dark and in visible light. "Another improvement for our systems is that the agents are activated by visible light, as opposed to UV light," said Brewer, associate professor of chemistry. "Using only visible light is a safeguard against inadvertent damage of tissue."